Nigeria Immigration Busts Alleged QNET/IGNITE Cr!minal Ring, Arrests Burkinabé Leader, Eight Liberians, Three Cameroonians

Nigeria Immigration Busts Alleged QNET/IGNITE Criminal Ring, Arrests Burkinabé Leader, Eight Liberians, Three Cameroonians

The NIS disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Public Relations Officer, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced the dismantling of an alleged transnational organised criminal syndicate linked to the QNET/IGNITE network, leading to the arrest of a Burkinabé national identified as the group’s alleged leader, 11 other suspected facilitators, and the rescue of two Liberian victims.

The NIS disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Public Relations Officer, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi.

According to the statement, the operation was carried out as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to combat irregular migration, human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime across the country.

The NIS said the syndicate, allegedly operating under the guise of the QNET/IGNITE network marketing group, had been active in Lagos and Ogun states, where it allegedly lured and exploited foreign nationals through fraudulent migration and business schemes.

The Service said the breakthrough followed actionable intelligence on the activities of trafficking syndicates operating across both states.

“As part of the ongoing efforts to combat irregular migration and transnational organized crimes in the country, the Nigeria Immigration Service has dismantled a fraudulent network marketing ring linked to the QNET/IGNITE group, a transnational organized criminal syndicate active in Lagos and Ogun States,” the statement read.

The Immigration Service said intensified operations led to the arrest of the alleged syndicate leader, identified as Ouattra Adama, a Burkinabé national, alongside 11 other suspected facilitators in different parts of Lagos.

According to the agency, those arrested comprise eight Liberians and three Cameroonians, while two Liberian nationals believed to have been victims of the syndicate’s activities were rescued during the operation.

“The operational breakthrough was based on actionable intelligence on the activities of Trafficking Syndicates across Lagos and Ogun States,” the statement said.

“Consequently, the Service intensified its operations, leading to the arrest of one Ouattra Adama (M), a Burkinabé national and alleged leader of the QNET/IGNITE syndicate, alongside eleven (11) other suspected facilitators, comprising eight (8) Liberians, and three (3) Cameroonians in various parts of Lagos. The operation also led to rescue of two (2) Liberians who are victims of their illegal activities.”

The NIS disclosed that all 12 suspects, along with the two rescued victims, have been transferred to the Service Headquarters in Abuja for further investigation and possible prosecution in accordance with Nigerian laws.

The Immigration Service also warned members of the public to exercise caution before accepting offers relating to employment, education, business opportunities or migration, noting that criminal syndicates often use such promises to deceive unsuspecting victims into trafficking and exploitation.

The agency maintained that the latest operation reflects its commitment to intelligence-driven border management and the fight against irregular migration and organised transnational crime.

It added that the arrest of the alleged syndicate leader and other suspects underscores the Service’s determination to dismantle criminal networks operating within Nigeria and protect vulnerable persons from trafficking and related offences.

The statement further noted that the operation aligns with the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen border security, curb irregular migration and combat transnational organised crime across the country.